First, it
could bring about the preservation of a highly interesting and demonstrable
sidelight of western history.

Second, it
supports in a seemingly acceptable way, the contention that a physical approach
in dealing with problems ofemotional origin is both scientific and
practical.

As a final
closing thought, we ask ourselves and also project to our readers the same
question, “Have we produced anything which will add to human understanding?"
Should your answer be “Yes,” we ask your cooperation in preserving it, for it
may then be precious; but should your answer be “No,” — please destroy it.

The Author

---------

Although the
primary interest which has brought about the preparation of this article is the
subject of abnormal tension within the human body, the writer here presents "an
analysis of an unusual phenomenon of animal psychology, in order to
scientifically sup­port the contention that there can be a physical as well as a
mental approach in dealing therapeutically with many psychological problems.

The nature
of the subject requires the writer to become personal and explain that he was
raised as a pioneer boy horseman in a western range district, the district of
the last home of the famous Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce; that the information
to be given here has grown out from an unusual boyhood experience. However, the
old saying, “Nothing under the sun is ever new,” very much applies in this case.

Moll, in his
old book, “Psychology," which is very difficult to locate in either public
libraries or used book stores, stated that many years ago an Austrian army
officer whose name was Balasa, discovered that a wild horse could be quickly
gentled by an operator who merely stands before it holding its attention. He
said a wild horse would soon advance to and fol­low the operator and be
absolutely gentle.

Moll also
wrote that Balasa's, discovery was developed into a system called "Balasiren of
Horses," and that although a regulation in the Austrian Cavalry at one time
required all horses prior to being shod to be put through the system of
Balasiren, the system later became a closely guarded secret on the part of very
noted horse tamers and trainers. Moll gave no further information than to say
that attention of the animal was the important factor. It appears from the
historical yet incomplete nature of his report, Moll received his information
entirely from hearsay rather than from personal observation and studied thought.

Indian
stories state that in the early days of the West, some Indians, particularly
medicine men of certain tribes of the Northwest, captured wild horses by
fascinating them and by holding attention directed to a blanket. Although with
first thought this would seem to be almost an unbelievable feat, there are many
persons living today who can recall having seen the Indian Blanket Act in some
manner performed, such that a corralled wild horse was quickly and
spectacu­larly gentled and without force. Fully thirty-five years ago, the
occasion being a Northwest Indian celebration, the writer saw the last part of
such a performance, but his memory is vivid only from the time of the applause
of the observers at the conclu­sion of the act and as the horse walked out of
the corral and into a town street with the Indian per­former. They walked with
the Indian's shoulder touching the neck of the horse and with one hand extended
forward to its nose and guiding it. The blanket was draped over the horse. Of
course, no rope or other restraining equipment was used. Since that time, all
performers of the act in that district have passed away.

Although it
is probable that all of the old perform­ers of the blanket act have carried
their secrets and their theories to their graves, the writer believes be has
come to an understanding of the act and here conveys his thought. He wishes to
explain, however, that he does not consider himself an expert in the procedure
but is confident he has made observations of value, which can readily serve as a
guide for any­one who wishes to experiment along the line of duplication of the
act.

A wild or
extremely excitable horse is corralled in a corral approximately one hundred
feet in length. The operator steps into the corral either with or with­out a
blanket and the animal becomes excited and moves away. The horse glances back at
the operator as it retreats and the operator, catching an eye of ­horse upon
him, instantly moves back and away, arousing the animal'. curiosity. The animal,
both curious and surprised at this unusual movement, comes around facing the
operator with all senses alerted. The operator continues to do the unusual.
He merely stands quietly or he may step forward and back within the range of
distance which does not break the animal’s stand at attention. In this way the
operator can adjust his position and regulate the distance as he sees fit. He
should ordinarily stand quietly excepting that it be necessary to stimulate
attention by movement. He should also strive to keep the animal standing at
attention without movement. Therein lies the secret of his success.
(Medicine-men of the old school probably found their most grotesque regalia to
have been highly effective in this unusual procedure of horse taming.)

Should
attention of the animal wane to a point that it endeavors to turn away, usually
a few quick steps back will bring it sharply back at attention. A few such
repetitions seem to fix the reaction and the animal appears to accept an idea
that it cannot turn away. However, after a considerable time standing quietly,
some horses may quit looking at the operator and may turn away in a very relaxed
and sort of unconcerned manner and then turn back and casually walk to the
operator, who stands quietly but not necessarily motionless. Probably all
horses will do some pawing of the ground, shake or toss the head and also smell
intently. Stallions may tend to roll a lip upward when muscular training toward
relaxation has advanced to a point that the animal is about to begin walking to
the operator. Should the procedure be started but not be completed and the
operator walk away, the horse will tend to follow and again maintain a position
at attention the same distance away as the last stand.

Periods of
relaxation are accompanied simulta­neously with absence of fear, obviously
manifested by instantaneous and smooth movement toward the operator. These
periods of relaxation will be momen­tary or sporadic with most horses and the
closer the operator stands, the more intense is the sense activity and the more
likelihood of this type of reaction.

The sense of
smell seems usually to be brought into action with great intensity by wild
horses. This fact is probably responsible for certain erroneous or greatly
exaggerated ideas relative to alleged special qualities of odors of various
substances in their effects upon wild horses.

At the time
of his first complete observance of this phenomenon, the writer, when a boy, had
corralled an absolutely wild and unbranded range stallion about three years of
age. His only purpose at the time was to gradually accustom the animal to his
presence and to eventually rope him in an enclosure from which he could readily
have escaped. His first stand was, of necessity, a full one hundred feet from
the animal. The distance was gradually reduced to a last stand at approximately
twenty-five feet. The animal stood practically fixated at attention for a period
somewhat over an hour. The finale was that this animal ad­vanced steadily to the
writer, put its head over his shoulder, advanced to a point that its neck was
tightly against his shoulder and it was absolutely submissive and gentle.

During the
past fall of 1948, the writer secured the cooperation of residents of the
Colville Indian reservation of the State of Washington, who rode the range and
brought in unbroken horses for further observation and experiments. It was
decided at that time that the secret of the famous old Indian blanket act, which
had become more of a tradition than a memory, had been discovered.

This article
would not be at all complete without mention of the fact that the Indian blanket
act con­tinues to live in the language of the West. All West­erners are
familiar with the expression, "You've got the Indian sign on him." It implies a
psychological control. The Indian blanket of the old days, woven to depict
historical events, to represent the mythology of the Indian people or to
otherwise portray definite meaning, could well have been and was in slang
called an Indian sign. The expression grew out from pioneer recognition of the
unusual control an Indian performer could seemingly exercise with his blanket in
the Indian blanket act. The expression, like many others of distinctive
meaning, crept into the language of the West and remained; whereas, the physical
fac­tors of the blanket act, not being understood, have lived almost entirely in
the early stories of a com­parative few who have seen something of the
show­manship of the native culture of the Old West.

A. summary
of conclusions drawn from a study of the phenomena of the Indian Blanket Act are
given as follows:

1. Fear is
not present excepting that fear patterns of muscular tension are manifested.

2. Fear can
be quickly eliminated and simultaneously with effecting relaxation.·

4. This
phenomenon is definitely not hypnosis but a matter of quick and spectacular
training away of fear patterns of muscular tension and the condition­ing of
desirable muscular responses of relaxation.

5. Although
results in the therapeutic fields, through training away abnormal tension by
whatever means it may be accomplished, speak more eloquently, this phenomenon of
animal psychology well serves as an answer to the claim of eminent
psychologists, whose theories are projected daily by the press throughout the
world, and who claim that fear is a basic cause of much physical as well as
mental illness.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During a
period of experimentation, searching for historical records and preparation of
this essay, Dr. Dawson received communications from several per­sons who
expressed interest, including Dr. F. M. Setzler, Head Curator of the Department
of Anthro­pology of the Smithsonian Institution, who reviewed the original
manuscript.

Dr. Setzler
has expressed the opinion that the In­dian Blanket Act may have been employed
primarily by the Indian tribes of the Northwest, west of the Rocky Mountains,
and that it may have been an invention of Indians of that region. He has also
stated that the data supplied the Smithsonian Insti­tution by Dr. Dawson,
seemingly indicated that the known skill of these Indians in handling and
breeding horses during the early part of the nineteenth century, as first
reported by Lewis and Clark in 1806, also extended to the employment of
effective tech­niques in taming wild horses.

Mr. Cyrus L.
Thomas of San Francisco has sent us a sworn statement to the effect that about
1906 an Indian chief in Wyoming gentled a wild pony for him, holding the
attention of the animal directed to his own mackinaw jacket, which, he said, the
Indian maneuvered in front of him until the pony advanced to him. Thomas further
stated, "I might add that I rode the range in Wyoming for several years and
participated in several western shows, winning the bucking contest of the then
called 'Wild West Show' at Cody, Wyoming, in 1912. During all the years that
have followed, I never again saw this procedure practiced."

Wally Moomaw
of the Colville said, "All the old timers still talk of the blanket act; but no
one knows how to do it anymore." His neighbor, Steve Ray­mond, named an Indian,
now deceased, whom he said had a wide-winged corral during the early days and
always gentled all the best of his wild catch with a blanket.

The producer
and director of a great motion pic­ture, "Northwest Stampede", and many others,
has written to Dr. Dawson in part as follows:

"Your
observations and theory of breaking wild horses was of extreme interest to me. I
have worked with and owned horses a greater part of my life and every experience
I have had merely verifies your very intelligent analysis.